Automatically fillable fogless shower mirror

Abstract

An automatically filling fogless shower mirror includes a mirror assembly having a mirror which thermally conductively contacts a water reservoir within the mirror assembly that communicates at the upper end thereof with a water-fill aperture. A tubular automatic water-filling adapter installable between a water supply pipe and a shower head has protruding from the adapter a flexible water supply tube which diverts a small portion of water flowing through the adapter into an inlet opening of the tube, which is discharged from an outlet opening in a distal end of the tube which is removably inserted into the water-fill aperture. Heating of the mirror by warm water in the reservoir prevents fogging caused by condensation of water vapor. Water cooled by warming the mirror trickles from a small drain hole in the reservoir and is continuously replenished by warm water supplied by the automatic water-filling adapter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automatically filling mirror having a water reservoir which is automatically fillable with warm water to heat a reflective surface of the mirror and thereby resist fogging caused by condensation of water vapor on said reflective surface, said mirror including a mirror assembly comprising;
 a. a reflective mirror plate, 
 b. a hollow body which supports said reflective mirror plate, 
 c. a water reservoir for warm water located within said hollow body, said reservoir being in thermally conductive contact with said reflective mirror plate, 
 d. a water supply conduit in fluid-tight connection with said water reservoir, said water reservoir including a cavity formed between a front wall which supports said reflective mirror plate, a rear wall spaced rearward of said front wall, and left and right side walls, said water supply conduit being located above said water reservoir and having at an upper end thereof a water-fill aperture for receiving warm water into said water supply conduit and said water reservoir, and 
 e. an automatic water-filling adapter having a tubular housing which is installable between an outlet port of a shower water supply pipe and a shower head, the tubular adapter having a smaller diameter flexible water supply tube which protrudes from the housing and has a small diameter bore that has an inlet opening which communicates with a larger diameter main water-flow bore through the adapter housing said adapter being effective in diverting at a small rate of flow warm water into the flexible water supply tube to be discharged from an outlet opening at a distal end of the tube, said distal end of said tube being removably insertable into said water-fill aperture of said reservoir, thereby automatically filling said reservoir with a continuous supply of warm water; said adapter including a diverter port fitting for anchoring said flexible water supply tube to said tubular housing, said diverter port fitting having a tubular frusto-conic shape including an upper end port which has a diameter enabling said upper end port to be receivable in a tight interference fit within said inlet opening of said bore through said flexible water supply tube, said fitting having an outer diameter which tapers to a relatively larger diameter base, said tubular housing of said automatic-filling adapter having a rear section fastenable to a water supply pipe, a front section fastenable to a shower head, and a center section located between said rear and front sections, a main water-flow bore disposed longitudinally through the length of said housing, and a diverter hole disposed radially through said center section, said diverter hole communicating with said main water-flow bore and effecting communication between said longitudinally disposed main water-flow bore and a smaller diameter diverter bore disposed through said flexible water supply tube. 
 
     
     
       2. The mirror of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said front and rear sections of said housing is threaded. 
     
     
       3. The mirror of  claim 1  wherein the ratio of the diameter of said main water flow bore through said adapter to the minimum water flow bore diameter of any element between said diverter port and the discharge of said flexible water supply tube lies in the approximate range of 5.8:1 to 2.9:1. 
     
     
       4. The mirror of  claim 1  wherein the ratio of the diameter of said main water flow bore through said adapter to the bore diameter of said diverter port fitting lies in the approximate range of 5.8:1 to 2.9:1. 
     
     
       5. The mirror of  claim 1  wherein said diverter port fitting has protruding rearward from said base section a smaller diameter cylindrically shaped tubular end section. 
     
     
       6. The mirror of  claim 1  wherein said water reservoir is provided with a drain hole which penetrates said cavity and communicates with the exterior of said mirror. 
     
     
       7. The mirror of  claim 1  wherein the ratio of the diameter of said main water-flow bore through said adapter to the minimum water flow bore diameter of any element between said diverter port and the discharge opening of said flexible water supply tube is selected to provide a water discharge rate from said flexible water supply at least as great as the leakage rate of water from said reservoir through said drain hole. 
     
     
       8. The mirror of  claim 7  wherein the ratio of said discharge rate to said leakage rate lies in the approximate range of 2:1 to 8:1. 
     
     
       9. The mirror of  claim 8  wherein the ratio of the diameter of said main water flow bore through said adapter to the bore diameter of said flexible water supply tube lies in the approximate range of 5.8:1 to 2.9:1. 
     
     
       10. An automatic water-filling adapter for providing warm water to the reservoir of a fogless shower mirror, said adapter comprising:
 a. a tubular housing having an inlet port connectable in fluid tight connection to a source of warm water, and an outlet port connectable in fluid tight connection to a shower head, said housing having disposed through its length a longitudinally disposed main water-flow bore, 
 b. a diverter port disposed transversely through a wall of said tubular housing, said diverter port having a diverter bore which communicates in fluid tight connection with said main water-flow bore through said housing, 
 c. a flexible water supply tube disposed through said diverter bore, said flexible water supply tube having through its length a diverter bore which has an inlet opening that is in fluid tight communication with said longitudinally disposed main water flow bore through said housing, and an outlet opening in a distal end of said flexible water supply tube, said distal end being insertable into a water-fill aperture of a water reservoir of a mirror, and 
 d. said tubular housing of said automatic-filling adapter having a rear section fastenable to a water supply pipe, a front section fastenable to a shower head, and a center section located between said rear and front sections, a main water-flow bore disposed longitudinally through the length of said housing, and a diverter hole disposed radially through said center section, said diverter hole communicating with said water flow bore and enabling communication between said longitudinally disposed water flow bore and a smaller diameter diverter bore disposed through said flexible water supply tube, and 
 e. a diverter port fitting for anchoring said flexible water supply tube to said tubular housing, said diverter port fitting having a tubular frusto-conic shape including an upper end part which has a diameter enabling said upper port to be receivable in a tight interference fit within a rear entrance opening of said bore through said flexible water supply tube, said fitting having an outer diameter which tapers to a relatively larger diameter base. 
 
     
     
       11. The automatic water-filling adapter of  claim 10  wherein at least one of said front and rear sections of said housing is threaded. 
     
     
       12. The automatic water-filling adapter of  claim 10  wherein said diverter port fitting has protruding rearward from said base section a smaller stepped diameter cylindrically shaped tubular end section. 
     
     
       13. The automatic water-filling adapter of  claim 10  wherein the ratio of the diameter of said main water-flow bore through said adapter to the smaller of the diameter of said bore through said diverter port fitting and the bore through said flexible water supply tube is selected to provide a water discharge rate from said flexible water supply at least as great as the leakage rate of water from said reservoir of a mirror which the adapter is intended to be used with. 
     
     
       14. The automatic water-filling adapter of  claim 13  wherein the ration of said discharge rate to said leakage rate lies in the approximate range of 2:1 to 8:1. 
     
     
       15. The automatic water filling adapter of  claim 14  wherein the ratio of the diameter of said main water flow bore through said adapter to the minimum water flow bore diameter of any element between said diverter port and the discharge opening of said flexible water supply tube lies in the approximate range of 5.8:1 to 2.9:1. 
     
     
       16. The mirror of  claim 14  wherein the ratio of the diameter of said main water flow bore through said adapter to the bore diameter of said diverter port fitting lies in the approximate range of 5.8:1 to 2.9:1.